


see you again like a dream

by hoonsic



Category: The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - After College/University, Getting Back Together, M/M, Past Relationship(s), hyunjae is a pussy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 07:35:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24347338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoonsic/pseuds/hoonsic
Summary: "do you still love me?"he looked at chanhee with hopeful eyes, hoping that the younger would say yes at him. hoping that they could patch things up and start over again. the younger stared at him. hyunjae couldn't read his expression. chanhee spoke slowly,"i love you."or in which chanhee and hyunjae met on their friend's party two years after their breakup just to play a game made for ex-lovers. the rules are simple, three questions for each other and answer as honest as they could. if they wanted to dogde the question, just say, "i love you."
Relationships: Choi Chanhee | New/Lee Jaehyun | Hyunjae
Comments: 8
Kudos: 103





	see you again like a dream

he can't calm down, he could feel how he's sweating despite of the coldness of the place. he roamed around the place, clean and masculine. it was huge for a bachelor. it was practically a mansion, at least. sangyeon hyung worked really hard for this, he thought.

it's sangyeon's birthday. being the eldest of the squad, they couldn't really say no to him despite being busy from their own lives, so they made time. sangyeon announced it to be a mini reunion after their college years. don't get them wrong, they do hang out, a lot. but having all of them in one place was hard, all of them were adults who have their own lives, plate full of responsibilities and dreams to chase, very unlikely to their college years where you could literally see them stuck on each other, just fooling around. so instead, they hung out by units, just to keep each other's company. they would occasionally have group video calls, as well. they kept their bond tight.

hyunjae bit his tongue and clasped his hands together, trying to hide all the emotions he's feeling. agitated, excited, nervousness, in pain, everything. he couldn't even keep himself from fidgeting. he will see him. the love of his life.

choi chanhee.

after their breakup two years ago, they haven't really talked. their breakup wasn't bad, both were given closures. they ended their relationship well. well enough that they didn't cut their connection with each other, at least on social media. they still follow each other's accounts. but that was all to it. after they split up, chanhee moved from one place to another. he said it's the nature of his work, chanhee's a photographer and a freelance model, but hyunjae knew it was because of him. of course, imagine being on the same circle of friends with your ex, it must have made chanhee's skin crawl. it was hard for them but also for their friends, they were torn. they didn't know what to do at first, but it was an unsaid rule for them to not take sides on anybody. so all of them did their best to keep their friendship strong despite of their friends' failed relationship. but hyunjae had noticed something. if he was with their friends, chanhee wouldn't be there. and if hyunjae's unavailable, chanhee would hang out with them. so he kept it that way, he didn't want the younger to be uncomfortable with his presence. the reason why the 12 of them couldn't hangout completely. until today.

he sighed, deep and heavy. as if he's been holding onto his breathe since eternity.

younghoon sat beside him, tapping his shoulder, "you look tensed. is everything okay?" hyunjae looked at him and once again let out a sigh before continuing to play with his fingers. is he tensed? tensed would be an understatement, he was feeling dizzy and excited and all sorts of feelings, all at once.

"i don't know, dude. i feel like shit."

"you look like shit." younghoon corrected him, laughing at how stressed he looked. he scowled at him before leaving to go to the nearest comfort room, chitchatting with the other guys he had bumped into. once he's there, he looked at his own reflection. he lightly slapped himself. god, he really looked like shit. he fixed his hair. he dyed it blonde months ago. for a change, he said. but deep down, it's all because of chanhee.

chanhee's hair was blonde when they were together. the younger would always complain how bleaching hurts, but would still dye his hair anyway. hyunjae dyed his hair almost similar to chanhee's, but a little bit darker. he wanted to remember chanhee, always. 

chanhee's hair now was pink. he could vividly remember how the younger had told him that he wanted to try having pink locks but afraid that it wouldn't look good on him. hyunjae was offended. everything looked good on chanhee. everything about chanhee was good, great rather.

how did he knew about chanhee's hair color? oh, he's whipped ass would always stalk the younger. sometimes, younghoon and kevin would also send him the selfies that chanhee sent for the two. god, he was ethereal. and god, he missed his selfies. he missed chanhee, in general. but he knew he shouldn't. 

stalking your pretty ex boyfriend was all fun until you saw posts with and about a man who was no longer you.

it was juyeon.

a year after chanhee and hyunjae broke up, the times that juyeon had spent with them became minimal. juyeon would only hang out with them seldomly than he usually does. juyeon would always be present on their gang's out so it was a peculiar scene if he's not there. one time, the gang was supposed to have a dinner together but both juyeon and chanhee couldn't make it. until the next day, chanhee posted pictures of juyeon on his instagram account and captioned it, "beautiful". all of them were shocked. since when did they become a thing? no one suspected it. hyunjae felt a pang on his chest when he saw that. chanhee posted pictures of him and their friends together, but never like this. instead of spending their time with the squad, they spent it together. alone by themselves. none of them talked about it for weeks. but hyunjae was hurt. not because his friend and ex boyfriend has a thing now, he's hurt because he couldn't do anything about it. if you'd ask him if he's okay with juyeon and chanhee being together, with all honesty, setting aside his feelings, he'd say yes. he have known juyeon the longest and he knew that juyeon was a really nice guy, probably better than him. and if he wanted his loved one to be with somebody else, he wanted it to be with someone he already know.

hyunjae slapped himself one last time. "get your shit together." he sighed then smiled at his own reflection before leaving to meet the others. he's making himself believe that he's okay. he wasn't sure if he's actually ready to see juyeon and chanhee together, but he has to do it. _he's here for sangyeon's birthday and not to cure his stupid heartache, after all._

when he finally arrived at the living room, he sat beside eric, completely ignoring younghoon who was waving at him. he didn't want younghoon to annoy the shit out of him even more. younghoon cracked hard at hyunjae.

changmin scanned his eyes around the area, counting them. "oh, we're only waiting for juyeon and chanhee." he excitedly clapped. changmin has been away for a year because of his work and he probably missed his best friend, chanhee, which explains his excitement.

"what's taking them so long? i want to eat already." haknyeon asked, holding out on his stomach. haknyeon hasn't changed at all, he's still the pig but cute haknyeon they've known for years. 

"oh, i've got a message from chanhee," kevin announced, pausing the conversation he's having with jacob and sangyeon, "he said they'll be here in a few minutes and he said juyeon is dumb. they almost got lost." they laughed at chanhee's message and juyeon's silliness. they could imagine how annoyed chanhee was with juyeon's dumbness. but hyunjae couldn't. he was faking a smile but all he's thinking about now was the two going together. he firmly closed his eyes and heaved out another deep sigh. you're gonna be okay, he reminded himself. younghoon looked at him with a concerned look but he just smiled at him to assure him he's still okay.

true enough, few moments after, they heard the doorbell rang. eric, being the excited and energetic boy that he was, volunteered to get the door and welcome the newcomers.

he excitedly and completely opened the door which revealed juyeon who was beaming at him, arms wide open. "juyeon hyung!" eric almost jumped at him. even as an adult, eric still acts as their youngest friend who would lift anyone's mood. juyeon waved at everyone while hugging youngjae. hyunjae met eyes with him and they just nodded at each other with a little smile.

but hyunjae still feel unsettled. his eyes were searching for something, someone, to be specific. when eric finally let go of juyeon, the taller moved to the side and unveiled who he was searching for.

it showed a pink-haired guy, wearing a black turtleneck, denim jacket loosely hung on his shoulders paired with his jeans that perfectly hugged his body, holding out a wine and a box which he assumed their gifts for sangyeon, wearing a smile that could literally illuminate the universe. he already knew that chanhee looked good with his hair but god, he's even more exquisite, dainty, delicate, and perfect in person. hyunjae wouldn't ran out of words to describe chanhee. he bit his lower lip, trying to hide his smile. he was already this delighted to finally see the love of his life. he saw younghoon at the corner of his eye smirking at him, but he couldn't care less. his attention was only focused on the beautiful creature in front of him. 

with their appearances, the room became a hundred times louder than it already was moments ago, all of them at bliss that they are finally complete. but hyunjae saw something else, his shoulders dropped when his eyes caught how juyeon's hand casually made it's way on chanhee's small back to assist him. hyunjae used to that. he felt like someone had poured cold water all over his body, he came back to his senses. chanhee's taken. chanhee's no longer his. but he still smiled at him and chanhee beamed in return. he sighed, god, he's really beautiful. but he's still hurting.

when they calmed down, juyeon and chanhee sat side-by-side, in front of hyunjae, they finally decided to eat their dinner. haknyeon was very pleased. he's been waiting for this! 

hyunjae chose to just enjoy the night and not think about anything else despite being bothered at how close the two were. practically whispering something with each other, having their own world. hyunjae tried to ignore it and just focus on his friends. they were talking about work and life while enjoying their food.

sangyeon and jacob have successfully reached their dream of being singers, they had gigs from different places in asia, soon the world. kevin is now a graphic designer, you could see the ads he made everywhere. juyeon and younghoon finished architecture and now both successful on their field. changmin and eric decided to build a dance studio together, both has gone internationally and were praised by known dancers. hyunjoon, a rookie fashion designer but has been booked ever since. haknyeon who's now managing their family business, trying to expand it. sunwoo and hyunjae are business partners and have had few branches of their restaurant. not only that, hyunjae was also an engineer. lastly, chanhee, their official and professional photographer who have been booked by famous celebrities.

all of them became successful and were still continuing to thrive harder. hyunjae couldn't help but to smile. before, they were just some crazy teenagers, but looking at how much they've grown so much over the years, he felt his heart jumped in joy and pride. proud would be an understatement.

they were laughing at some horrible stories about changmin and eric's clients. his eyes met chanhee's and he couldn't help but to stare at him. the younger smiled and mouthed a little "hi" and joined their conversation once again. hyunjae felt his heart skipped a beat.

"you know, i've been thinking about this a lot." sunwoo started, he continued when he finally got everyone's attention, "hyunjae hyung, chanhee hyung." he looked at the two simultaneously, "play a game for me, please?" his request made everyone confused, including chanhee and hyunjae. they exchanged glances, not knowing what's running on sunwoo head.

chanhee wiped the side of his mouth before speaking, "what game do you want us to play, sunwoo-ah?"

"i love you game." sunwoo answerd simply, resting his chin on his hand, testing their reactions. everyone kept quiet, trying to read the atmosphere.

hyunjae have heard this game before but he didn't really expect that he'll play it. it is a game made for ex-lovers. the rules are simple, three questions for each other and answer as honest as they could. if they wanted to dogde the question, just say, "i love you."

"god, you just killed the atmosphere." haknyeon scoffed at him when he noticed that the atmosphere has changed. sunwoo chuckled and scratched his nape.

"i mean, hyung, that's only if they wanted to play it. don't get me wrong!" he defended himself. hyunjoon playfully hit his head and muttered words they couldn't hear.

hyunjae broke the silence, trying to show that he's fine with the idea, "it's fine, i mean, if chanhee's fine with it." he looked at chanhee, searching for confirmation.

chanhee just smiled at everyone else in the room, "sure, let's do it."

younghoon told juyeon to exchange seats with hyunjae. it wasn't really necessary for them to sit beside each other but they still did without complaining. he didn't know if he'll thank younghoon or he'll punch him on the face later.

changmin has instructed them to look at each other. and oh, hyunjae wanted this moment to last forever. the younger was just looking at him with a little smile across his face. hyunjae couldn't do the same. he was mesmerized by chanhee's beauty, yet again. he was studying him. chanhee didn't change that much, he just became even more breathtaking.

eric clapped excitedly and told them to start right away. "my dearest hyungs, don't be shy to say those three words!" he meaningfully said which earned laughter from everybody. the awkwardness from a while ago has subsided. or so they thought.

hyunjae nodded and motioned chanhee to start. the younger complied.

"how are you, hyung?" chanhee started with a basic. it's a safe question. but he had to answer it honestly. their friends teased chanhee for throwing a stupid question but he just laughed it out.

hyunjae internalized his thoughts before speaking, "i.. i am fine. although the things that had happened from the past still lingers on me. but i'm good." he smiled and the younger just nodded at him, relieved.

"how about you?" hyunjae asked in return.

"i am perfectly fine. work has been tough but thanks to juyeon, he's been helping me a lot to get through it." the younger answered and glanced at juyeon who just gave him a little thumbs up.

juyeon. hyunjae couldn't tell his own expression right now as pain was starting to get a hold of him. he sighed and nodded. what did he get into? first question and it's already breaking his heart.

his friends just kept their mouths shut. they knew it's not their business to begin with. so they will not meddle, unless the situation called for it. they decided to watch them carefully and silently. the atmosphere has completely changed, not tensed nor pressuring, but somewhat nerve-racking.

"do you have any regrets on our relationship?"

hyunjae didn't even think about it that much, "the only regret that i had was when i decided to let you go and not be man enough for you. but every moment with you was memorable, if i could bring back time, i would definitely go back to when everything's still alright." he looked at chanhee, hoping that his sincerity reached him. the latter just gave him a soft and assuring smile. the smile he would always let out when hyunjae's doubting himself.

it's his turn to ask. he's been meaning to ask this. he needed answers just so he can finally stop wondering about it and probably move on.

"are you and juyeon a thing?"

he could hear his friends' gasps but his attention was focused to the younger man in front of him who's biting his finger. hyunjae was confused, chanhee only does that when he's suppressing a smile or laugh.

_"i love you."_

hyunjae's breathe hitched. hurt and surprised by the latter's answer. why? why can't he answer him? why was he smiling at their situation right now? hyunjae suddenly felt dizzy, his mind starting to cloud with different thoughts. but he bit his lip, trying to compose himself. one more question and it's all done, he assured himself.

when chanhee thought that hyunjae finally recovered, he sat up straight to shot his last question.

"do you still love me?"

hyunjae stared at chanhee, he wanted to touch his face. he wanted to kiss those lips. he has been longing so long for this man. chanhee was so near but he felt far at the same time. hyunjae controlled himself and balled his fist.

"i do. all these years. i always do. you never left my mind.. and heart. it always searches for you." he confessed, he bit his tongue, didn't want to embarrass himself more before taking a deep sigh and collect all the courage he have for the last question.

"do you still love me?"

he looked at chanhee with hopeful eyes, hoping that the younger would say yes at him. hoping that they could patch things up and start over again. the younger stared at him. hyunjae couldn't read his expression. chanhee spoke slowly,

_"i love you."_

there he had his heart broken again. silence, long and deafening silence. it's as if his friends were mourning for him and his heart. he was still staring at chanhee who's doing the same thing. hyunjae knew that this time, for sure, he's showing a pained expression.

he heard someone clapped and dismissed them, trying to lift the atmosphere once again. hyunjae broke his gaze with chanhee and immediately stood up and went to sangyeon's balcony. he couldn't handle it. he couldn't take it all. everything was too much for him. he needed fresh air. thankfully, none of his friends said anything. he didn't want to broke down in front of them.

he sat there in silence, alone. contemplating and reflecting. of course, chanhee got juyeon now. what should he expect? just like what he have said, juyeon's the best, second to none. of course. that's common sense. he wanted to punch himself for being so stupid to actually assume that chanhee would be single after all those years. it's futile of him to expect that chanhee would welcome him again with open arms.

he sighed, he didn't know how many times have he done that today. but there's nothing else he could do.

a small figure sat beside him, he nudged at hyunjae's shoulder. of all people, why him?

"hey hyung."

hyunjae kept quiet, he could see from his peripheral vision that chanhee was staring at him, huge smile on his face. he still couldn't get it, why was he laughing? what's so funny with their situation right now? was chanhee happy that he's hurting? he sighed, again.

"you know," chanhee started as he leaned closer to hyunjae and rested his head on the older. as if a reflex, hyunjae's hand worked it's way on the smaller's head, caressing his hair, "it's actually funny, juyeon and i."

hyunjae nibbled on his lower lip, he didn't expect that he'll get to hear the story of chanhee and juyeon but he just let the younger continue, he stopped patting the younger's head, "i was supposed to come with you guys, but my mom scolded me hard. we had our family reunion that time and she wanted me to come with them. you know how much i hated family gatherings."

hyunjae smiled. one time chanhee attended their family gathering, not even an hour with them, he called hyunjae to pick him up. so hyunjae did. they spent their day cuddling with each other and just chanhee nagging at how much his relatives gossiped about everything and almost everyone. chanhee never liked things like those.

chanhee continued after chuckling, "i was literally at the corner, refusing all the possible interactions with them. then i saw someone familiar, i thought there was something wrong with my eyes until he came straight up to me."

hyunjae's taking time to process everything. he's not usually slow but with all the information he had today, his brain has suddenly malfunctioned.

"juyeon came to me, we were both suprised to see each other. he's my cousin. who would have thought!" chanhee exclaimed, now laughing as he remembered that moment. just like chanhee, juyeon hated family gatherings that he would rather spend his time to be with his friends than to be on one room with his relatives.

hyunjae's mind has totally stopped functioning for a while. all his brain could process was the man beside him.

_chanhee is single. chanhee is single. chanhee is single_.

they sat there in silence. hyunjae reached out for chanhee's hand and intertwined it with his. he didn't know where did he got that courage but he's going to milk everything out of their situation right now.

chanhee finally lifted his head from his shoulder to face him. hyunjae did the same. he brought his free hand to caress chanhee's face. the younger closed his eyes and leaned on his touch. hyunjae gently stroked the younger's cheek, the latter hummed in response, pleased. god, he missed this. silence enveloped them once again. but unlike to the previous ones, it was a comfortable silence. 

"do you still love me?" hyunjae asked once again when chanhee turned his gaze at him.

"oh my fucking god lee jaehyun?" chanhee whined, hyunjae pouted. he never really liked being called by his real name, except for chanhee, "i practically told you that i love you twice, i told you that juyeon and i are cousins. how slow could you get?" chanhee snapped, almost rolling his eyes as he looked at hyunjae in exasperation.

hyunjae's jaw dropped, surprised at chanhee's outburst. "i.. i thought it was a game?" he said, still confused. if this was a dream, he's hoping for this not to end.

"i love you. i totally do, fucking idiot." 

hyunjae didn't waste any more time and claimed the younger's lips. he's been wanting to taste it. chanhee had tasted cherry, he could never forget that taste. it's his favorite taste. he cupped chanhee's cheek as he angled their heads better. hyunjae haven't kissed anyone after their breakup so he's worried he'll ruin their moment, but their lips just felt perfect against each other. their lips have memorized the rhythms that only them could make. so, so sweet. so, so gentle. it's a kiss of reunited love. and so they broke the kiss, with a smile plastered on each other's faces.

"i can't believe you've really ran out of balls, dork." chanhee wrapped his arms around hyunjae's neck and pulled him into a hug. hyunjae felt embarrassed with the fact that chanhee really did most of the work for them to get back together. 

_perhaps hyunjae wasn't really here for sangyeon, he was here to have his heart cured by his only love._

**Author's Note:**

> title inspiration: daydream


End file.
